The divergent impact of reward magnitude on goal eagerness and effort investment

Numerous prior studies have reported that rats, pigeons, and humans prefer predictable over unpredictable rewards of equal frequency and magnitude. A frustration-theory analysis of this preference suggests that it obtains because the unpredictable partial reinforcement procedure is aversive whereas the predictable discrimination procedure loses its aversiveness. The preference, on such an analysis, arises due to the tendency to avoid the unpredictable of two alternatives. Since frustration varies as a function of magnitude of reward, the avoidance tendency should increase with increases in reward magnitude in the unpredictable alternative. One group of rats in the present study showed a clear preference for seven versus five 45-mg Noyes Pellets. A second group showed the oft reported preference for five pellets predictable versus five pellets unpredictable. A third group of rats showed a preference for a five-pellet predictable reward over a seven-pellet unpredictable reward. The results of this experiment provide evidence for a frustration-theory analysis of the preference for predictable reward.

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Effect of instrumental response pretraining in classical-to-instrumental transfer of a differential reward magnitude discrimination

Psychonomic Science ◽

10.3758/bf03337397 ◽

1969 ◽

Vol 15 (5) ◽

pp. 235-237

Author(s):

Charles F. Flaherty ◽

John W. Davenport

Keyword(s):

Reward Magnitude ◽

Instrumental Response ◽

Differential Reward

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Reward magnitude in differential conditioning: Effects of sequential variables in acquisition and extinction.

Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology ◽

10.1037/h0037640 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 86 (6) ◽

pp. 1141-1148 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Roger L. Mellgren ◽

Dennis G. Dyck

Keyword(s):

Reward Magnitude ◽

Differential Conditioning

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Salience-driven value construction for adaptive choice under risk

10.1101/506832 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mehran Spitmaan ◽

Emily Chu ◽

Alireza Soltani

Keyword(s):

Reward Magnitude ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Real Life ◽

Individual Outcomes ◽

Single Piece ◽

Differential Weighting ◽

Adaptive Choice ◽

Plausible Mechanism ◽

Reward Information ◽

Adaptive Decision Making

Decisions we face in real life are inherently risky and can result in one of many possible outcomes. However, most of what we know about choice under risk is based on studies that use options with only two possible outcomes (simple gambles), so it remains unclear how the brain constructs reward values for more complex risky options faced in real life. To address this question, we combined experimental and modeling approaches to examine choice between pairs of simple gambles and pairs of three-outcome gambles in male and female human subjects. We found that subjects evaluated individual outcomes of three-outcome gambles by multiplying functions of reward magnitude and probability. To construct the overall value of each gamble, however, most subjects differentially weighted possible outcomes based on either reward magnitude or probability. These results reveal a novel dissociation between how reward information is processed when evaluating complex gambles: valuation of each outcome is based on an integrated value whereas combination of possible outcomes relies on a single piece of reward information. We show that differential weighting of possible outcomes enabled subjects to make decisions more easily and quickly. Together, these findings reveal a plausible mechanism for how salience, in terms of possible reward magnitude or probability, can influence the construction of subjective values for complex gambles. They also point to separable neural mechanisms for how reward value controls choice and attention in order to allow for more adaptive decision making.

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The role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex in reward valuation and future thinking during intertemporal choice

10.1101/2021.03.15.435400 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elisa Ciaramelli ◽

Flavia De Luca ◽

Donna Kwan ◽

Jenkin N. Y. Mok ◽

Francesca Bianconi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Reward Magnitude ◽

Intertemporal Choice ◽

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Future Thinking ◽

Long Term Outcomes ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Reward Valuation

Intertemporal choices require trade-offs between short-term and long-term outcomes. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) damage causes steep discounting of future rewards (delay discounting; DD) and impoverished episodic future thinking (EFT). The role of vmPFC in reward valuation, EFT, and their interaction during intertemporal choice is still unclear. Here, twelve patients with lesions to vmPFC and forty-one healthy controls chose between smallerimmediate and larger-delayed rewards while we manipulated reward magnitude and the availability of EFT cues. In the EFT condition, participants imagined personal events to occur at the delays associated with the larger-delayed rewards. We found that DD was steeper in vmPFC patients compared to controls, and not modulated by reward magnitude. However, EFT cues downregulated DD in vmPFC patients as well as controls. These findings indicate that vmPFC integrity is critical for the valuation of (future) rewards, but not to instill EFT in intertemporal choice.

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Lapses in perceptual decisions reflect exploration

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.55490 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Sashank Pisupati ◽

Lital Chartarifsky-Lynn ◽

Anup Khanal ◽

Anne K Churchland

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Motor Cortex ◽

Reward Magnitude ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Decision Task ◽

Trade Off ◽

Strategic Trade ◽

Evidence Strength ◽

Constant Rate ◽

Brain States

Perceptual decision-makers often display a constant rate of errors independent of evidence strength. These 'lapses' are treated as a nuisance arising from noise tangential to the decision, e.g. inattention or motor errors. Here, we use a multisensory decision task in rats to demonstrate that these explanations cannot account for lapses' stimulus dependence. We propose a novel explanation: lapses reflect a strategic trade-off between exploiting known rewarding actions and exploring uncertain ones. We tested this model's predictions by selectively manipulating one action's reward magnitude or probability. As uniquely predicted by this model, changes were restricted to lapses associated with that action. Finally, we show that lapses are a powerful tool for assigning decision-related computations to neural structures based on disruption experiments (here, posterior striatum and secondary motor cortex). These results suggest that lapses reflect an integral component of decision-making and are informative about action values in normal and disrupted brain states.

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Effects of reward on oculomotor control

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00498.2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 116 (5) ◽

pp. 2453-2466 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Brónagh McCoy ◽

Jan Theeuwes

Keyword(s):

Reward Magnitude ◽

Saccade Latency ◽

Oculomotor Control ◽

Distractor Location ◽

Landing Position ◽

Bayesian Hierarchical ◽

Visual Hemifield ◽

High Reward ◽

And Control ◽

Remote Distractor Effect

The present study examines the extent to which distractors that signal the availability of monetary reward on a given trial affect eye movements. We used a novel eye movement task in which observers had to follow a target around the screen while ignoring distractors presented at varying locations. We examined the effects of reward magnitude and distractor location on a host of oculomotor properties, including saccade latency, amplitude, landing position, curvature, and erroneous saccades toward the distractor. We found consistent effects of reward magnitude on classic oculomotor phenomena such as the remote distractor effect, the global effect, and oculomotor capture by the distractor. We also show that a distractor in the visual hemifield opposite to the target had a larger effect on oculomotor control than an equidistant distractor in the same hemifield as the target. Bayesian hierarchical drift diffusion modeling revealed large differences in drift rate depending on the reward value, location, and visual hemifield of the distractor stimulus. Our findings suggest that high reward distractors not only capture the eyes but also affect a multitude of oculomotor properties associated with oculomotor inhibition and control.

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